Of the top 100 players in the country, the Irish have accepted the commitment of five players, including three of the top 30. One other name still in consideration is five-star defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes.

Here are the Irish recruits that made the rankings:

No. 3 — Jaylon Smith, OLB: Smith is the highest ranked player the Irish have landed since Jimmy Clausen. While he doesn’t fit the traditional mold of a ‘Dog’ linebacker in the Irish’s 3-4 system, he’s too good of an athlete to keep off the field.No. 19 —Greg Bryant, RB: Replacing Cierre Wood and Theo Riddick should be easier to stomach with Bryant. A nice mix of power, speed, and versatility, it’ll be interesting to see how quickly Bryant can fight his way into the mix.No. 30 — Max Redfield, DB: The third five-star prospect of the class, Redfield looks like a ballhawk in center field. He’s not the most physically imposing player in the secondary, but he’s a true athlete and adds some more length and athleticism.No. 60 —Steve Elmer, OT: Already on campus, we’ll get our first look at Elmer this spring. There doesn’t seem to be a glaring need at tackle, but Elmer will have the staff’s eye for 15 sessions this spring, a nice jump start for his career.No. 74 —John Montelus, OG: A great interior line prospect, Montelus will be add another big body to the inside. At a position where there are question marks at guard and center, and Chris Watt graduating after this season, Montelus is an important player at a position of need.

Of the uncommitted players still on the board, the Irish are in the best shape with Vanderdoes, who will be on campus this weekend. The Irish have chased Mackensie Alexander, the No. 42 prospect, for a long time, but appear to have cooled on Alexander, a feeling that seems mutual. Cornerback Priest Willis has also had his name connected to the Irish in the past, but that ship appears to have sailed as well.

And now to the fish that got away. Vernon Hargreaves III was an early target of the Irish, with Tony Alford working hard on Hargreaves. At No. 2, the Irish clearly saw something in the elite cornerback, who played very well on the All-Star circuit. Laquon Treadwell was another prospect the Irish just couldn’t get in the game with either, as the No. 5 player in the country has decided to go to Ole Miss, a surprise to many Michigan fans that thought they had the inside track for the Illinois star. Al-Quadin Muhammad (#49) looked likely to pledge to the Irish but various reports have academics getting in the way.

Seeing Alex Anzalone pick up a fifth-star didn’t fee very good for Irish fans, with Anzalone’s eleventh hour defection putting a dent in the linebacking corps of the Irish. Also of note was fellow five-star Dorian Johnson, an offensive lineman from Pennsylvania who ran out of spots with the Irish even with a family connection to Scott Booker. Johnson is the No. 31 ranked player in the country and the top offensive lineman.

One final prospect to watch? USC commit Ty Isaac, who some believe will still end up with the Irish in the end.

Spring hero? Tough to find a bigger one than C.J. Prosise. With numbers low in the backfield this spring, Notre Dame’s emerging slot receiver transitioned to running back—and immediately became an X factor in 2015.

For most of Romeo Okwara’s college career, the defender’s young age was mentioned when discussing the intriguing athlete’s upside. With ideal length, more than adequate athleticism and a skill set that fit in both Bob Diaco and Brian VanGorder’s defense, it was always a wait-and-see proposition for the North Carolina native, who simply needed a few years in Paul Longo’s weight room to catch up to his age.

We wrap up our offseason look at Notre Dame’s 2015 opponents with the Stanford Cardinal. The postseason could come down to a late-season showdown in Palo Alto with David Shaw’s team trying to rebound from a five-loss season.

After a redshirt season, Quenton Nelson is ready to play. Jumping to the head of the line at a crowded (and talented) position, Nelson is taking his five-star pedigree and bringing it to the starting lineup.

This spring, you’d have probably won some money if you had Sam Mustipher emerging as the No. 2 center. But with Matt Hegarty’s departure and some failed experiments before him, it was Mustipher who was backing up Nick Martin and snapping the ball to Everett Golson in a spring game played on Notre Dame’s practice field.

Notre Dame opens the season ranked No. 11 in the preseason USA Today Amway Coaches Poll. The Irish, who finished last season 8-5, return the majority of their starting lineup, providing some context for the bullish expectations. Only Gus Malzahn’s Auburn team is ranked higher among teams that finished with five losses in 2014.

Last year, we saw what a talented freshman linebacker in over his head looked like. His name was Nyles Morgan, and the blue-chip recruit personified the second-half defensive collapse that flushed the Irish season down the drain. Want the good part? Stick around, as Irish A-to-Z continues.

When Brian Kelly plucked offensive lineman John Montelus from his hometown of Everett, Massachusetts, the Irish looked to be adding another mauler to the interior of Harry Hiestand’s offensive line. And after two seasons of reshaping his body and learning the ropes, Montelus is in a competitive two-deep, still looking for a role in this offense.

It didn’t take long for Notre Dame’s coaching staff to know they wanted to offer Peter Mokwuah. After getting a glimpse of the big-bodied defensive tackle, Brian VanGorder and Brian Kelly went to Staten Island and left with a key piece to the depth chart.

We are a little more than a week away from the start of the 2015 football season. Notre Dame released their training camp schedule on Wednesday, highlighting the key dates leading up to the season opener against Texas.

Entering his third year in the program, offensive lineman Colin McGovern hasn’t found his way into the lineup. That’s the product of a depth chart filled with other talented options, as well as McGovern dealing with injuries and position switches as he looks to find his niche.

Last preseason, Mike McGlinchey was the odd-man out along the offensive line, losing out on the opportunity to be the team’s starting right tackle. Entering 2015, he’s one of the key X factors that’ll determine whether or not Harry Hiestand’s offensive line is one of the best in the country.

With Notre Dame’s defense falling apart, second-year player Jacob Matuska was thrown into the fire, earning playing time after the first (and most of the second) line of defense went down. Let’s check on the rising junior as Irish A-to-Z rolls on.

The first recruit to join the 2014 recruiting class, Greer Martini may have been envisioned as a 3-4 linebacker in Bob Diaco’s scheme, but he very quickly showed he could play anywhere the rebooted Irish defense needed him. Irish A-to-Z keeps on keepin’ on.

While discussing Notre Dame’s “rivals” usually turns into some type of screaming hot-take opportunity, it’s undeniable that the Irish’s date with Boston College in Fenway Park is a wonderful place to renew a “rivalry” that’s gotten a lot less regular.

In his first season without his brother on campus, Nick Martin looked to make a name for himself. But 2014 was a battle for Martin, not just to escape the shadows of his All-Pro brother, but to regain his health after a lingering knee injury and a multitude of other ailments made the entire season a grind.

Ready or not, Cole Luke was thrown into the deep end in 2014, forced into a starting role after KeiVarae Russell’s August suspension. Paired with Cody Riggs as the team’s field cornerback, Luke more than held his own as a sophomore starter, taking on one of the most challenging schedules in college football, with elite receivers testing the Irish secondary nearly every week.

Looking for a sledgehammer in an offense that sometimes gets branded finesse? Look no further than tight end Tyler Luatua. The big-bodied thumper may not look like the rest of the tight end depth chart, but certainly will come in handy as the Irish do their best to transform into a run-to-win team in 2015.